Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Beteta
Hi Teresa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
At the root of it, I have a very big family – 3 siblings, twenty-something aunts and uncles, countless cousins – and spread all over the world! I believe that this gave me an immense capacity to love.
In the summer break visits, impromptu sleepovers, and holiday get-togethers, I would always get that sinking, heart-breaking, gut-wrenching feeling little kids get when I knew our time with family was coming to a close and it would be months or years before seeing them again.
As I grew (and technology grew with me) I began to find a lot of joy in finding old albums and shoe boxes full of photos and eventually, taking photos myself!
In high school, my uncle gave me my very first DSLR (big-kid camera) a dusty but trusty Nikon that I brought nearly everywhere I could. With a LOT of people supporting and believing in me, I eventually began practicing photography professionally all the way through my engineering degree – and now – beyond!
Photography truly is something that brings me a lot of joy. It itches the science-nerd part of me that’s fascinated with the technicalities and fills the softy-romantic part of me that loves when people can finally see the beauty and light in themselves that I do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think like most teenagers, I was thrust out of high school and into a time of my life where I felt like I had all the time, energy, and potential to do something with my life, but no clue what that should be. While I had this deep rooted love for photography and traveling (and contemplated pursuing photojournalism with the goals of becoming a National Geographic photographer), I also had (admittedly) good grades and about an equally deep curiosity for all things math and science.
With no college fund, I didn’t know how to pursue either option so, when I got a full Bright Futures scholarship, it seemed the clear answer was to maximize my return on this investment, if you will. So, I challenged myself to pursue engineering.
While the scholarship covered all of my tuition and fees, I still had to find a way to cover- well, pretty much everything else. So, I returned to my trusty Nikon. She got me through to my first internships, which started to pay me enough to cover my living, and between studying full time and building my resume, I had little time for anything else.
So, I thought my days of being to photograph people professionally were done and that it would close with the university chapter of my life. However, about two years into my big-girl corporate job, I just didn’t feel fulfilled.
With a quarter-life crisis looming, I picked up my old “hobby” again and just quickly gained a lot of traction in the year that followed and this vision of a entrepreneurial/creative life started to crystalize.
While I still juggle my business with my 40-hour-a-week corporate job, and that sucks about as much as you can imagine, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m able to work toward a financially independent future and build wealth with my husband for our future family and all while doing something I can honestly say I love.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in photographing couples in the many stages of their love story! Just memories of them as they are, celebrations of engagements, their unions (weddings, elopements, micro weddings), and documenting their growing little families. I like to focus on natural and authentic moments by paying attention to detail and textures that bring life and realism to my photos. I also like to use natural light and balance it with the space and shadows to bring elegance and a timeless feel to the photos so that they tell a story that my clients wouldn’t be able to capture and preserve on their own in the age of cell phones.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think that I put a lot of heart into my work and I like to make lasting connections to my clients that allow them to trust and feel comfortable with me. This leads to referrals and rebooking and means I get to watch real life love stories play out right infant of my lens!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://teresabphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresab_photo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresabphotography
Image Credits
Teresa B Photography
